


Play and Be Played

by emothy



Category: Prince of Tennis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-05
Updated: 2006-12-05
Packaged: 2017-10-05 05:03:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emothy/pseuds/emothy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/38081">Accept and Endure</a>. Yukimura gets involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play and Be Played

-

Yukimura has this habit of leaving things unsaid; he is so used to seeing the meaning behind unspoken words that he forgets not everyone is as aware as he. And so it is not until the practices are altered to fit the new change that Niou notices... He is assigned to play doubles with Yagyuu Hiroshi. All week long. For practice purposes.

Before Yukimura had informed him, Niou hadn't even been aware of Yagyuu's given name. Their relationship had been almost like a business exchange, though nowhere near so cold. After all it had been founded upon a _spark_.

"It was intentional." Yukimura tells Niou when he asks about the line-up. "Some people are not _destined_ to play singles forever. Don't you agree?"

Niou has a high sense of destiny, and nothing is telling him this is the wrong path; he has trusted in Yukimura before, the whole team have. It is what they do. They love and respect, and believe in Yukimura's abilities as well as his judgement. As for singles, well it's true he wasn't going anywhere fast; Yukimura, Sanada and Yanagi are near-unstoppable. They are the obvious choices for all three singles matches without doubt.

Niou still doesn't really grasp the fact that Yukimura meant this pairing as a permanent thing until much later; while he could muse upon the insignificant for hours, his attention to the obvious was never really high. It was obvious enough, after all.

What with practice back in full swing, and Niou determined to prove himself once again (though he knows he does not have to, and Yukimura knows rule breaking for that reason is a once in a lifetime thing), he does not see Yagyuu outside of practice. And until the sessions are altered to include himself and Yagyuu again, they each spectate silently, for almost a week.

When they step on to the court together, no-one knows quite what to expect. Least of all themselves.

"Have you calmed down now?" Yagyuu enquires, politely as usual. Niou tilts his head and flicks the hair out of his eyes.

"I'm fine," he replies with a smile, turning away to find his position. "I was always fine."

They are not assigned to play against their own Regular teammates this time, which is far from a show of pity. It's easy to see that a pairing comprised of two people who have never really played doubles, let alone together, and half the pairing having only a few weeks tennis playing experience, will not be beating a pair like Jackal and Marui anytime soon.

_Soon_, Yukimura discovers in the near-future, is relative.

Niou doesn't realise that Yagyuu even knows the rules to doubles; they are slightly different to singles, and each player must play his own part within the pair to perfection, otherwise it drags both of them down. But they step into position as though drawn by the tides, and Niou just figures Yagyuu has done his research. To compete with Rikkai, you must stay ahead of the game. Niou has learnt to be about ten steps ahead of the game. Tennis, that is. He's still working on life.

They play against a couple of kids thrown together for the purpose of a match, much like the newly assigned Regulars pair. They are still good; everyone in Rikkai has a basic level of skill that surpasses every other schools underlings by far, but Niou believes he could take the two of them on at once, if he liked.

He is not tempted to play it this way though, where with someone else he might be, secure as he was in his singles position. It seems like a slap in the face aimed at Yagyuu if he does. Even Yukimura has admitted Yagyuu's ability to improve is a wonderful surprise. But only against Niou.

_Wait_, Niou thinks, _Yukimura never said_ against _me. He said with._

It doesn't fully dawn on him at the time, but Niou's body reacts before his mind can grasp the full meaning of his realisation. His stance becomes more agressive, more determined. He can see Yagyuu is watching him out of the corner of his eye, and that he nods in Niou's direction. He has decided the flow of the match now, and Yagyuu will follow suit.

Yagyuu knows that until he has more experience, and can make decisions like those for himself, following and supporting is all he can do.

Everyone else is surprised to say the least. Most of the team still have no idea what the hell Yukimura was thinking, to dress some nobody in the Rikkai uniform. But they never question him, and now they still won't. As they watch on, eyes wide and mouths open, in the case of Jackal and Marui most of all, Yukimura sits laughing aloud, holding his stomach. It isn't hysterics; it's pure merriment. Everything is going so well.

"There is an awesome doubles combination there just waiting to come out," Marui says, blinking as he realises his gum is no longer in his mouth. He stoops to pick it up and aims it for the waste-bin across the way. Of course he and Jackal can see the potential; a doubles team knows another doubles team on sight.

The best part is the entertainment factor. It may feel like an ordinary tennis match for Niou and Yagyuu, but their style of playing together is just beginning to unfold. Yukimura can't hold back the giggles when Yagyuu unwittingly copies one of Niou's moves; and it happens more than once, twice, or even three times. Where once it was a ploy to trick the Trickster, now it is a way to keep himself in the game against people whose skill surpasses his right now.

Sanada looks on uncomprehendingly, his face turning a familiar shade of thunder. He is one of those people who does not like to feel a joke is on him. Yukimura beckons him closer.

"You're never going to understand these two," he says, "unless I'm wrong. Maybe you should go and warm up for a match yourself. I'll play you."

Yukimura already knows the fate of the match, so it is no big deal to miss out on the end. This is just the beginning of his new unstoppable Doubles 1 pair.

Niou does not even notice when Yukimura rises and readies himself for a match of his own; he isn't the kind to be deterred by that, or feel discarded by Yukimura. A captain must play a match now and then too, especially to keep the peace. And besides, Niou is too into the game, which is proving to be more challenging than he first thought. Not in terms of his opponents abilities; he was not wrong about that. But doubles is a whole other world, and he is having to learn to adjust very quickly.

Not as quickly as Yagyuu, though, he thinks. And when he senses the ball is out of Yagyuu's reach, he covers it.

"Thank you," Yagyuu says quietly.

"Don't mention it," Niou shrugs, "it's my job to protect you."

The words are so off-hand, he doesn't stop to think about them. And luckily for him, Yagyuu understands exactly what he means, and know it's not condescending. Things between them will never be condescending, no matter who is better at what. They balance one another like scales.

Yukimura is glad he does not have to act as go-between for the two of them, and tells himself so as he returns Sanada's serve. It would leave him even less time for actually playing matches if he had to supervise and baby everyone on the team. He doesn't see it like that exactly, but whilst he is on the court his mind hardens, and sometimes his thoughts come out a little harsher than intended. He is lucky no-one can hear them.

"You're better than last time." Niou says to Yagyuu with surprise, after they have won. "Or maybe I just didn't notice it before because we weren't working together."

"Working together?" Yagyuu smiles, walking alongside Niou as they head for the lockers to retrieve the towels they had somehow forgotten. "More like I was working like you."

All of a sudden, Niou does not miss their matches outside of school anymore; Yukimura has them playing together so often, for so long, and so hard, that it feels to Niou like tennis never ends. Even in his dreams he is playing doubles with Yagyuu, and though he wonders when it will end, he doesn't really want it to. Yagyuu has not only managed to step fluidly into Niou's movements, now that he is more confident with some level of skill behind him, he is coming into his own.

And Niou is watching every swing, and every step.

After what feels like forever, though really it is more like a month, Yukimura sets the pair against some Regulars. Though he has been warned about this, Niou is not prepared for the combination. Yanagi and Sanada.

Surely the obvious choice would have been Marui and Jackal, but Yukimura is smiling over the match, so he obviously has his reasons. Niou has a sudden sense of doom; they can't possibly hope to win against these two monsters, who have played doubles together before, even. There won't be the newly-paired disadvantage to capitalise on. They will simply have to play to the best of their abilities.

Niou doesn't wonder when it became 'they' instead of he. He barely even notices.

They really outdo themselves this time, Yukimura thinks to himself. There is not a part of that court that Niou and Yagyuu do not attempt to cover. And the funniest part is, it does not seem to matter who covers which part. Instead of becoming confused and running into one another, they simply seem to adapt. From one covering the front half, and one handling the back, to one covering the left, and the other the right. They can adjust themselves with ease, and it doesn't even take words or signals. They have the mindset, the shared thoughts.

They can flitter between who defends, and who attacks. Sometimes it is Niou at the net, sometimes it is Yagyuu. Sometimes they make use of formations Yukimura knows they are not yet aware of. Playing alongside one another at the baseline. Using the Australian formation. Maybe these things will never be seen again, maybe they are just useful to this match. It's hard to tell just from spectating.

It is like watching chereographed dance. It would be hard to convince an outsider that this was not rehearsed. It would be hard to convince Sanada that this was not a well-planned trick, in order to make him lose him temper. But Yukimura has faith than Yanagi will see through them and enlighten Sanada somehow. He has the right words for situations like these. Yukimura himself can only insist that he is right, and that Sanada should trust him. Trust is not always enough.

Yanagi Renji sees the funny side, and smiles. Now he knows what Yukimura has found, he analyses it completely and thoroughly. Soon he will know Niou and Yagyuu better than they know themselves. They seem after all, not to know themselves at all. They just are.

Sanada, however, sees red, and for the first time Niou is truly surprised; as far as he is concerned, he has done nothing on purpose to try and antagonise his vice-captain. It isn't something someone with any sense would attempt often, anyway.

"Why are they fooling about like that?" Sanada hisses to Yanagi. It is not like him to get so agitated during a match, and he attempts to cover it with a lowered tone.

"They aren't fooling about." Renji replies calmly and steadily. He puts a hand to Sanada's shoulder and looks him in the eye. "This is the way they play, Genichirou."

Sanada looks over at the two of them, and Niou feels a vague sense of violation at the intensity of his vice-captain's stare. It's as though Sanada can't quite believe the truth, though he knows if it comes from Renji, he has to.

"So," Sanada says eventually, with a hint of a sigh. "Masaharu has found himself a partner just as tricky as himself." Sanada's eyes take on a familiar shadow. "Tricks will not win you a game against me."

It is news to Niou that they have been using tricks at all. He glances over at Yukimura, who is biting his lip in an attempt not to laugh. His captain knows something he does not.

Niou has never beaten Sanada or Yanagi in a singles match, and no-one is surprised about that fact. But in doubles, though they are skilled, and work well together, something is lacking. The game is closer than Niou would have believed, though he and Yagyuu are losing. And even though they trail behind, he feels a sense of pride in himself and Yagyuu that they could put up this much of a fight. They are still a new pair in terms of time according to tennis.

"Something is happening out there," Marui says suddenly, eyes on Niou and Yagyuu's side of the court. Jackal pins his focus on them too, to see what his partner is seeing.

"It's like... There's only one of them." He says eventually, though it sounds completely wrong when it comes out of his mouth.

But indeed, that's exactly what it looks like; the two of them both move all at once so independently of one another, and yet in such perfect timing, that they seem to be as one.

"One mind, one spirit, one will to fight and win." Yukimura chants mysteriously. Marui and Jackal are too busy watching to even attempt to question their captain's words.

Though still not winning, the gap between the scores has been pulled even tighter. Niou knows they cannot hope to win overall, but they will go down as coming the closest ever to a win against the doubles monsters. That will be enough for him... For now.

"You have not reached your full potential yet," Yukimura says to himself quietly, "not in terms of showing everyone what a true doubles team can do. When you can find yourselves in one another's skin, then you will unleash your talents, such as they are."

Yukimura thinks not just in terms of tennis-skill. Niou's ability to trick and scheme have always been an integral part of his game. The psychological effects of a trick during a match can often not be recovered from, even by the very last game. And for there to be two of them who can accomplish the same? Perhaps the effects will last even longer. Perhaps an opponent will not be the same for many matches afterward. Much like a blow to the face; you still flinch when the ball comes at you. Like a twisted ankle after it has healed; you still compensate for it's lack of full strength.

"That was awesome!" Marui says, bouncing in front of Niou and Yagyuu after the match is over. They both smile, accepting the compliment without anyone making any mention of the fact that they lost. To speak it aloud is to bump up against RikkaiDai's biggest rule; _You do not lose. You do not fail._ Everyone is starting to grasp the situation surrounding Niou and Yagyuu's doubles partnership. They will not be losers, ultimately.

Yagyuu's improvement in skill is only of secondary importance, this time. It is unusual to admit, for someone at Rikkai. Skill is of the utmost importance; you play, and win. You do not play _to_ win, the winning just happens because you are more than capable. It is unusual to admit, and he will never speak it aloud, but Yukimura knows when changes are waiting to happen and when allowances must be made. He knows destiny when he sees it; Niou has taught him how to look for it.

-


End file.
